Yesterday morning, I stumbled out of bed, a smile on my face like I do every Friday morning. I put on my outfit for the day, and flipped on “The Today Show”. I poured a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats while Matt and Ann went through what was making news in the world.
Then I heard it. Rush Limbaugh’s shocking comments to Georgetown Law Student Sandra Fluke after she spoke in favor of President Obama’s mandate on birth control being covered for all women. It has been a controversial topic, as many religious institutions have spoken their strong opposition to it. Fluke testified at a press conference that birth control can cost women a fortune, especially her fellow law school students who were already struggling to pay their way through school.
“She wants us to pay her to have sex, so what does that make her? It makes her a slut right? It makes her a prostitute.”
I really don’t care what your view is on this topic–whether you agree with the President’s new mandate or not, but Rush Limbaugh’s comments were absolutely out of line. There are many health reasons that women go on birth control, the primary reason being to prevent pregnancy. Regardless of a woman’s reason, Sandra Fluke was simply stating her reasoning behind agreeing with why birth control should be covered for women. She professionally presented data from fellow students, and spoke up in agreement.
I am not saying Rush Limbaugh is not entitled to his own opinion. Rush Limbaugh should have been more sensible. He should have stated his disagreement in a a classier way. In a way in which he focused on the subject itself, presenting his own reasons. The fact that he resorted to calling Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” is simply unbelievable.
This is not the first time Limbaugh has gotten in trouble for his harsh words. Last year, he mocked the Chinese language after seeing Chinese President Hu Jintao delivering a speech, with no subtitles on the screen. Having been to China and having a deep love for the Chinese culture, I found his comments then to be offensive.
Rush Limbaugh needs to think before he speaks. These harsh words cannot be unspoken, but he should do the right thing and publicly apologize to Fluke for his comments. She deserves it.
Megan's Musings 
Rush knows what he is doing. The more outrageous the comment the more plublicity, the higher the ratings.
I agree he does it for the ratings and attention, but he still should be careful. By alienating even more people from his audience, though, eventually his die-hard followers are just going to be cantankerous people and sheltered xenophobes, both of whom have an acute fear of change and the different. Both categories he can find himself in.
I agree with you Megan….he needs to apologize to that woman!! Because he is a man (sorry to all the understanding and caring men out there) he doesn’t get it!!
Limbaugh is as pure a shock-jock as Howard Stern, he just has a longer half-life. What I’ve always found interesting is how the Republican party has been forced to recognize him all these years when he is quite simply an entertainment figure. His views appeal to the far FAR right, a voting bloc the GOP requires for victory in every election, but still……if someone in that party stood up and said, “Yknow, the guy is a radio host, he has his feelings, they (are/aren’t) mine, so take that at face value”, I’d have far more respect for that candidate. Instead they feel they have to slap him on the wrist in such a fashion as to not alienate any of his listeners.